Emergency Planning and Preparedness

Radiation Health Response Plan (RHRP)

The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care has developed the Radiation Health Response Plan. This plan is designed to guide health sector planning at provincial and local levels across Ontario. The plan outlines:

• How the health system responds to a radiological and/or nuclear incident of accidental or deliberate nature, and the conditions under which precautionary and protective actions are implemented for the general public and health system.
• A comprehensive province-wide approach to health planning and response, including information to guide local incident planning.
• Roles and responsibilities, operational concepts and response principles for coordinating the response of health organizations.

The goal of the plan is to ensure that Ontario’s health sector would be ready to respond to a radiological or nuclear incident to protect Ontarians and minimize their risk of illness.

• Radiation Health Response Plan
• Potassium Iodide (KI) Guidelines
• Potassium Iodide Tablets (KI) Fact Sheet

Helpful Radiological/Nuclear Planning Links and Documents:

Planning Links:

• Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care Chemical/Biological/Radiological/Nuclear Program
• Provincial Nuclear Emergency Response Plan
• Office of the Fire Marshall and Emergency Management Nuclear Preparedness, includes links to regional plans
• Ministry of Labour Radiation Protection Service
• Health Canada Radiation Protection Bureau
• Federal Nuclear Emergency Plan
• Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC)
• International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
• Radiation Emergency Medical Management Guidance on Diagnosis and Treatment for Health Care Providers, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education Radiation Emergency Assistance Center/Training Site
• U.S. Centres for Disease Control (CDC), Radiological Terrorism : Just in Time Training for Hospital Clinicians
• Health Canada’s “Canadian Guide on Medical Management of Radiation Emergencies”
• Health Canada’s  “METER: Basic Concepts of Radiation and Protection Principles” (This e-course is designed to provide basic concepts of radiation for a response to a radiological or nuclear emergency)